Self-harm ChildLine calls up 90%

The number of youngsters contacting ChildLine in Scotland about self-harming has increased by almost 90% in the space of a year.

The number of children getting in touch because they may be suicidal has gone up by almost 40%.

Volunteers at ChildLine’s two Scottish centres, in Glasgow and Aberdeen, counselled 2,174 children last year who said they were deliberately harming themselves – up from 1,157 in 2010-11, an increase of 87.9%.

The number of children counselled either over the phone or online about suicide went from 1,242 to 1,728 – a rise of 39.1%

Elaine Chalmers, head of ChildLine in Scotland, said the increasing number of children contacting them about self-harm and suicide is a “growing area of concern” for the service.

“It seems the pressures facing children and young people, particularly girls, are increasing at such a rate that some of them see these drastic measures as the only answer to their problems. We know boys are also suffering but they are less likely to seek help and we urge them to do so.”

She added: “We can always offer support and help to a child who might think they are in the darkest of places, so they can begin to turn their lives around. No matter how bad things seem, it can help to talk to someone who may be able to provide a crucial lifeline.”

ChildLine’s annual report reveals that self-harming is now the fourth most common reason for children in the UK to contact the advice service provided by the charity NSPCC.

Across the UK, ChildLine provided 16,264 counselling sessions about self-harm, mainly to teenagers aged 13-16. The number of counselling sessions concerning suicide have increased to 12,260, mostly involving children aged 15-17.

ChildLine said the number of teenagers seeking counselling about suicide has been rising since 2007, with almost 1,000 cases in the UK, mainly involving girls, being referred to the emergency services last year because advisers were so concerned.